Youtube put out a caution about burnout. Penny arcade summed it up. “Creators: you’re feeling burned out because you are light bulbs. And there are always more light bulbs. You create young, energetic light bulbs with every video you make.”

Good educational content is distinct from aspirational content. As a chemistry professor, my primary job is to produce more chemists (and educate non-chemists who need the background). The point is not to generate a great many more chemistry professors. Complexly and the Scishow folks make great educational content. Aspirational content is the opposite: it endeavors to sell the idea that you too can become an aspirational content producer. Mostly by watching more aspirational content.

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I made a youtube video every weekday in 2017. That experience pulled me into the world of battery chemistry. Daily vlogging was hard but taught me something about social media, science outreach, and the topics that people are interested in. I was a little surprised to find that people were so interested in batteries. I like the opportunity to explore something that is of wide interest. Everyone has a battery in their pocket, and everyone wants them to last longer.

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